“Welcome to class, and by the way, when you review the course syllabus, you will see that one-third of your mark will come from group work.”
For many of us teaching in a postsecondary setting, the course syllabus review that includes a component of group work is met with discourse and protest. “I don’t know anyone in the class,” “I prefer to work independently,” and “I’ve had trouble with groups in the past” are comments that I have heard a lot while teaching business students; I know my colleagues have experienced similar reactions. I also know that there is tremendous value to be gained from group work, and the capabilities that students acquire from this work tend to be essential across career streams. So, with this in mind, let’s help students build their capacity to be stronger group collaborators who can both contribute to and enjoy working in teams and groups.
